Discussions By Condition: Nerve conditions

Getting Trapped in My sleep. Please help.

for a few years, I've been getting stuck in my sleep. I don't know what it is. Sometimes it's when I sleep in the day, then sometimes when I sleep at night. (I also noticed that this only happens when I sleep on my back) I know I'm waking up, but my body doesn't want to. My eyes are shut, and I can't open them. My arms feel like they weigh 1000 pounds. It's so hard to breath, as if someone were sitting on my chest. And it scares me so badly. But the more times it happened, the more I was able to work with it. I only got as far as moving my fingers, or lifting my arm about an inch. or even opening my mouth and slurring some sounds. But it still scares me to death. Does anyone have any idea what this is??? Please help. Thank you.

8 Replies:

This is called "sleep paralysis" (you describe the symptoms perfectly)I've had it for a while. When I was younger I used to tell my parents, "I had a nightmare about being asleep and not being able to wake up", but I guess they never took it too seriously, and niether did I.Stress and physical conditions seems to make it more likely to happen; all the usual things that make you unhealthy etc.It started happening more about 2 years ago and I learned pretty quickly how to WAKE UP from it. It is basically like "breaking out of a plastic cocoon by pushing forward with your face" ... use that fear you are describing to "shake yourself free" of sleep.Hope that helps a little. Search for "sleep paralysis" and you'll find all the info you need.

This is called "sleep paralysis" (you describe the symptoms perfectly)I've had it for a while. When I was younger I used to tell my parents, "I had a nightmare about being asleep and not being able to wake up", but I guess they never took it too seriously, and niether did I.Stress and physical conditions seems to make it more likely to happen; all the usual things that make you unhealthy etc.It started happening more about 2 years ago and I learned pretty quickly how to WAKE UP from it. It is basically like "breaking out of a plastic cocoon by pushing forward with your face" ... use that fear you are describing to "shake yourself free" of sleep.Hope that helps a little. Search for "sleep paralysis" and you'll find all the info you need.Thank you SO MUCH for your help!!

Thank you SO MUCH for your help!!OMG i thought i was the only person in the world that goes thru this. I asked my fiance to watch me one day but he fell asleep before me, it really is like breaking thru a cocoon, very scary i might add. and i also feel like i am dying and if i dont hurry and wake up i will. I even tried screaming and nothing is coming out of my mouth. I heard something about a witch riding your back. well my grandma told me never believe that and pray real hard and you'll be fine. Oh and stop eatting before i go to sleep.

OMG i thought i was the only person in the world that goes thru this. I asked my fiance to watch me one day but he fell asleep before me, it really is like breaking thru a cocoon, very scary i might add. and i also feel like i am dying and if i dont hurry and wake up i will. I even tried screaming and nothing is coming out of my mouth. I heard something about a witch riding your back. well my grandma told me never believe that and pray real hard and you'll be fine. Oh and stop eatting before i go to sleep.I feel somewhat relieved that other ppl around the world is expericing the samething...but i wonder if its deadly...or is it possible that maybe one day we wont wake from this sleep paralysis....is there medication for it??? or what???....i thought it was caused by lack of oxygen to the brain....

for a few years, I've been getting stuck in my sleep. I don't know what it is. Sometimes it's when I sleep in the day, then sometimes when I sleep at night. (I also noticed that this only happens when I sleep on my back) I know I'm waking up, but my body doesn't want to. My eyes are shut, and I can't open them. My arms feel like they weigh 1000 pounds. It's so hard to breath, as if someone were sitting on my chest. And it scares me so badly. But the more times it happened, the more I was able to work with it. I only got as far as moving my fingers, or lifting my arm about an inch. or even opening my mouth and slurring some sounds. But it still scares me to death. Does anyone have any idea what this is??? Please help. Thank you.---Na-chan.I have some what the same problem i first notic this when i was 7yrs old i never said anything to anyone in tell now im now 25. The way i deal with this is i trained my self to relax, once you understand were u are and that this is real just close your eye and try to fall a sleep. this might sound crazy because you are already a sleep. but you have to learn to reverse the (trap) to weak up. it work for me the lest 19yrs. (learn to take control i have more info about the after life and what it have to do with being trap in your sleep. its more a gife then a trap but rite now one step at a time take control). one more tip. befor you take a nap and go to bad do some type of exercise this will help.

This happened to me today. This is the second time it has happened to me and on both occasions, as someone else mentioned, it occurred while sleeping on my back and occurred during the day time. For me I don't get the feeling of not being able to breathe or being scared. Its just a very strange sensation. It feels like I am awake and the room I am in looks exactly the same as it would if I were awake. But I feel like I can't move or get up, like I am frozen in place. The strangest part today was that this time I knew I was asleep and tried to wake myself up and although it took a while, I eventually was successful.On both occasions I also had almost like a dream at the same time where something was going on around me that wasn't actually occurring in real life. On the first occasion I was at home and was taking a nap in my room when it happened and I distinctly heard someone in the kitchen shifting the utensils around in the Utensil drawer, even though there was no one else home at the time. Today I was in my dorm room at school and saw my room mate walk in and out a couple of times even though he is at home all weekend.

Hi,this will sound REALLY weird, and I dont know how to explain it. Its happened since I was younger (no trauma i know of) But weird to explain to anyone who hasnt had it, and googles not helping. Sometimes when I close my eyes for sleep(Only a few times during the day i've found in recent yrs when I'm awake but close my eyes), and unexpectedly, i have a mental image, it makes me feel trapped or confined somewhat. Not panic like just uncomfortable, but then like the background(which is nothing specific) is getting more distant. I then have to open my eyes, then shut them again and try to sleep. This will happen several times.I have never looked into what it might be before, but because I presume it is to do with the eyes or neurology I mustn't be the only one whos had it.Can someone please tell me after all these years what it is??Many Thanks

I have some what the same problem i first notic this when i was 7yrs old i never said anything to anyone in tell now im now 25. The way i deal with this is i trained my self to relax, once you understand were u are and that this is real just close your eye and try to fall a sleep. this might sound crazy because you are already a sleep. but you have to learn to reverse the (trap) to weak up. it work for me the lest 19yrs. (learn to take control i have more info about the after life and what it have to do with being trap in your sleep. its more a gife then a trap but rite now one step at a time take control). one more tip. befor you take a nap and go to bad do some type of exercise this will help.I totally agree. I have been going threw the same thing for as long as I can remember. Its also started as a child. I would wake up and tell my parents that I was stuck. I would often try to scream but I could never make a sound or even open my mouth. Now that I'm older I find that it helps to calm myself down, I try praying. Once I feel relaxed its like my body is released from some type of hold, usually resulting in me gasping for hair. my bofriend will notice that I start shaking sometimes. Hes even tried to help me wakeup. what sucks is when I know I'm stuck in my sleep and hes right next to me and I can't even reach out or call his name to help me wake up.